Flinga Means Snowflake in Swedish

by Leah Fielding

All of the pro ladies we’ve talked to agree: the best way increase in females on the slopes is to feature more on the silver screen. Across the board these ladies cited a desire to see more rippin’ chicks in ski and board movies and not just the “token” ski bunny hitting small cliffs and skiing the easier lines, but pro ladies getting just as much air as the boys. Timing is everything, Generation Flings—“Flinga” is Swedish for snowflake—had just wrapped up editing their first film and the first ever all-girls ski movie, “Catch Us If You Can” when Leah Fielding met up with Sweden-based Janette Hargin, co-founder of the fledgling production company, for a transatlantic Skype interview…

SheJumps will be proudly premiering "Catch Us If You Can" Saturday, December 19, at Our Lady of the Snows in Alta. Visit the facebook event page for more information.

LF: Was Generation Flinga a project that has been in the works for a while or was it a relatively new project?

JH: It all started end of last summer, beginning of fall.
 
LF:  Whose idea was it originally?

JH: Pro skier Sara Orrensjö and I got a budget from a Swedish company that made it possible to start up the project. We got the budget and the first thing we were thinking was making our own ski movie!

LF: That's great! Was the original intention to be an all girls ski movie? Or did that come later?

JH: Pretty early on we had the idea we should make one just with girls.

LF: Would you say you've all been frustrated in the past by the lack of females in ski movies?

JH: I don’t like the idea that in all movies there are one or two girls performing just because there should be some girls in it. If you let more girls film then it puts more pressure on the skiers to perform! You should not feel safe just because you are female!!

LF: I like that; you’re holding women accountable. If you’re going to be in a ski movie, no matter what your sex you’ve got to go BIG, right?

JH: When we were filming just with girls it was really competitive, so all of us had to step up!  Usually when you are filming with guys you get away with easy stuff just because you are the only girl! But not this time! So that’s why I think more girls should get the chance to film and as a result it would up the level of what we are capable of. All younger girls need more inspiration in that way and more role models. That was our big motivation to start the project from the beginning!!

LF: When does the movie premiere?

JH: November 4th is the release party in Stockholm!! BIG party!

LF: I bet it will be a blast! Is the movie still in post-production? Or is it ready?

JH: Its last week (mid-September) of producing at the moment!

LF: What company gave you the budget for the movie?

JH: Tobacco company Swedish Match is the original company that gave us a budget. Then after that we got sponsors into the film: HiQ, Recco, Peak Performance, Hestra gloves, Comviq. Swedish Match is not allowed to be the sponsor in the movie, because of tobacco laws, but they use us girls as ambassadors for the company. The response was great last fall when we started up and we were lucky to get sponsors even with the economy crisis!!

LF: Yeah, it just shows how needed an all-women’s ski movie is. So, tell me about the women you filmed with…

JH: Stina Jakobsson, young, most promising female in Sweden. Already been in films before, Down Film and Free Radicals. Competing in Freeride World Tour. Jennifer Farde, a really good friend, hasn’t been filming before, but is always happy and also competes a lot. Jennifer and Stina are with Peak Performance! Anja Pärson, Swedish alpine superstar!! It was her first time in a freeride movie!  Rachael Burks, a good American friend, knows all of us from time in Sweden. Lynsey Dyer came in pretty late but we felt she is inspiring for younger girls (SheJumps.org) and that she fit right in! A lot of girls wanted to film with us but we had to be pretty strict in that it should be girls we really like and not just anyone!! We were planning on it with Grete Eliasen from the beginning but then she got into some two-year project that made it impossible...

LF: So did you exclusively film in Sweden, or all over?

JH: The trip and also the story in the film is: U.S., Alta, Europe, St Jacob, Sonnenkopf, Japan, Niseko, Europe, Engelberg, Sweden, Tärnaby, Björkliden. Rachael is in the U.S. segment, Lynsey is in Japan segment and Anja is in Sweden segment. The rest of us are in all segments!
 
LF: Did you use helicopters to drop in?

JH: Heli in Sweden, the rest HIKE! Some ski doo, as well.

LF: So from the pictures I saw on the Web site—www.generationflinga.com—it looks like there are some pretty big launches. What was the most incredible thing you saw or experienced while filming?

JH: Biggest memory was the European Alps, the beginning of February. It was snowing like hell every day and we had so much powder!! Had to shuffle the car out every morning and again after the day up in the mountains!! We found a unlikely place in St Jacob, Austria, we were the only ones at the whole place for three days, then the O’Neil big mountain pro bus came into town with all the best freeriders in the world!! They had a competition going on and were driving to the best location at the moment in the Alps!

LF: Sounds like a fun time! Have you had good reactions from pro guys about the movie?

JH: Most of the guys have been wondering what this will be and what we are capable of making, but after providing them with lots of good stuff, like the monthly updates and so on they are now really excited as well!
But its funny that they show surprise when its good!!

LF: So what film crew were you with or did you hire them freelance?

JH: We hired a cameraman for the whole year. Marcus Hansen, he’s Swedish, he did all the filming and editing. He has filmed for Free Radicals before.

LF: Wow, so it was just one guy and the rest of the girls?
 
JH: I don’t think he expected it to be that extreme just because it was with girls, but we challenged ourselves and sometimes he was standing there shaking!

LF: I'm sure he'll be proud to say he was a part of this. So Janette, what's your skiing background?

JH: I have an alpine background but have always been into freeride as well, some competitions and some have filmed before. I ended my alpine career after world champs in Åre 2007, and after that just freeride. I have been competing in FWT (Freeride World Tour) last year and now this film!! Next year is more competing and filming!

LF: So what has the reaction been from people when you tell them you are filming an all girls ski movie?

JH: Super good reactions!!! It’s like you said, this is something that is wanted out there!! AND NEEDED! And lots of companies want to be connected to things like this. The ski industry is trying to reach out to girls but they don’t know how to…

LF: If other women see “Catch Me If You Can,” then they will have confidence to try new stuff, because, as I’ve learned from the many great women of the industry, "if she can do it, I can do it!"

JH: YES!! I agree!! And that’s the thing with our group; we are supporting each other all the time, instead of just competing against each other! That’s why we didn’t want just anyone to be filming with us as well! I hope this is something that will shine through in the movie!!!

LF: So what should everyone be really excited to see? Can you give a little teaser? What can we expect to see, 60-foot airs? Big gaps? Laid out back flips?

JH: It will be a "feel good" movie, with some extreme lines and of course high cliffs.

Visit generationflinga.se/generation.php for more information and photos.